Mountaineers climb 20,000 ft uncharted peak in India's Arunachal Pradesh

A mountaineering group has scaled a previously unclimbed peak, more than 6,000 metres above sea level in India’s Arunachal Pradesh state.

Fifteen mountaineers from the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports climbed the 6,383-metre-high mountain, in the Tawang-West Kameng region along India's un-demarcated border with China.

The peak in the Gorichen range of the Himalayas in north-eastern Arunachal Pradesh which borders Tibet.

The climb was considered one of the most technically challenging to mountaineers due to sheer ice walls, treacherous crevasses, and a 3km-long glacier prompting safety concerns, NIMAS said.

“It was not navigational and there were a lot of crevasses and steep ice walls. We started our institute 11 years ago and whenever we went for practice climbs, this peak was visible. This was not tried before because of the dangers known and we set our goal that we have to climb this year,” Maj Devendra, a chief instructor at NIMAS, told The National.

Preparations for the expedition took about 45 days and the team hiked for 15 days from the base camp to reach the peak on September 21, the NIMAS said.

“We practised, recced the area and checked for the equipment required. There were fears of glaciers breaking. During the daytime ice walls can break easily and can form an avalanche,” Mr Devendra said.

“The stretch of glacier was 3km and walking on that patch takes too much time and latitude causes fatigue. One has to be mentally and physically prepared. The difficulty of climbing the peak at 6,383 metres can be compared to 7-8000 peaks because the Arunachal area is not explored much therefore it takes too much of an effort. It is a big feat for us,” he said.

Local authorities hope the feat will attract explorers and adventure enthusiasts from around the globe to take on the mountain and make the state a key adventure and mountaineering destination.

“After overcoming immense challenges including sheer ice walls, treacherous crevasses, and a two-kilometre-long glacier, the team has immortalised the momentous feat by naming the peak ‘Tsangyang Gyatso Peak’ in honour of His Holiness the sixth Dalai Lama Rigzen Tsangyang Gyatso,” India's Defence Ministry said.

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Devotees believe they are reincarnations of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the patron saint of Tibet to serve the people as their leader and teacher. Tenzin Gyatso is the current and 14th Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso was born in Tewang in Arunachal Pradesh in 1682. He was enthroned as the sixth Dalai Lama at the age of 14 in 1697 in Tibet. He died in 1706, when en route to China according to the website of the 14th Dalai Lama.

“The peak has been named ‘Tsangyang Gyatso Peak’ in honour of His Holiness Tsangyang Gyatso, the Sixth Dalai Lama, a visionary philosopher and spiritual leader from the Mon Tawang region,” NIMAS said.